For eighty-year-old Bryce, life didn't hold much hope or promise. Since his wife had died, and his children had grown, his health had failed, and his doctors doubted he would live more than a year or two.

But all that changed one fateful day, as he was clearing out his rat-infested garage. For among the debris and detritus of his long life he discovered a miraculous find--a magic box of brilliant yellow that had the power to transport him to the magical land of Xanth!

After a life without meaning, Bryce is ready to give up on life and just let himself die when he is swept away into Xanth alongside a service dog named Rachel. Once he arrives at Caprice Castle, he learns that he is to take part in a Demon Contest for the hand of Princess Harmony, the only single human princess left in this generation, and the one most likely to become the next King. This contest consists of finding the perfect gift for Harmony to use once she becomes King.

Both competing and aiding his fellow suitors; Piper the music monster, the Demon Pose, the warrior Arsenal, Lucky with the talent of luck, and Anna Molly the anomoly in this male only contest, Bryce searches for gifts across the length of Xanth, aided by his magic talent of seeing ten seconds into the future with his left eye, and a magical pen that brings to life anything he draws. As for who wins the contest, well that all depends on the luck of the draw.